Posts by Scarborough Dave

Murdoch machinations mean Microsoft must rename SkyDrive

TIFKASD

The Interface Formally Known As Sky Drive

Exposed: RSPCA drills into cops' databases, harvests private info

Do the RSPCA get a copy or actual access?

Personally I think they get a copy, so how is this personal data guarded.

Are the RSPCA creating their own second database of people whom are suspects, prooved guilty and not guilty in court.

You still reading us? Not for long! Summer is THE IT meltdown hot spot

we had the same issue so managed to buy one of these

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/4250832.htm

having proved my point of a trouble free summer (bet the equivalent of bonus on the solution) we now have a proper unit in our small server room/cupboard.

the old unit now keeps me cool in summer in my office/cupboard.

PM writes ISPs' web filter ads for them - and it must say 'default on'

bit pointless anyway

This would mean that say most of the results from a "big boobies" image search on Google would be filtered.

But what about Facebook and Twitter, for example would the EvilPostman (NSFW!) on twitter be filtered, or some of the Facebook groups which can also be very raw.

We are probably better teaching the kids to filter themselves and keep safe.

Microsoft: Still using Office installed on a PC? Gosh, you squares

No thanks!

2010 is good enough as it is, next move might be LibreOffice or OpenOffice over here anyway, still not totally happy with the ribbon. .

Cloud storage for our documents - scary, too many privacy issues to consider.

Saucy selfie app Snapchat hits $800m valuation as VCs chuck cash around

Re: I use Snapchat and it is very useful

Evernote looks interesting, Thanks!

Re: I use Snapchat and it is very useful

Errh! No we use it because it is free and I personally always ignore the adverts on apps anyway.

I'll just find something else from another upstart offering free services in order to build market share before being sold to a VC fund - using other people money.

I use Snapchat and it is very useful

Not for indecent images, but sending messages to colleagues and my kids that don't have to be permanent - so sort of another version of simple verbal communication, such as messy image of bedroom with message of "Tidy room please!"

The ability to mix image and text simply is great.

Image of server with lights on and text "Up and running! :)"

Much easier than using most other systems for this quick mix of visual (even movie) and text messaging.

Microsoft honcho pleads with media: 'Stop picking on us!'

Confession we have 49 of those W8 licenses

At the foot of my desk, bought when it was cheaper price.

It's staying there until we get the start menu - so I don't have spend hours training the crew to use W8 without a touch screen.

Re: "Microsoft honcho pleads with media: 'Stop picking on us!'"

And my start menu back - can't use classic shell forever!

Symantec: We 'stubbed our toe' on Backup Exec, but we'll be fine

Re: Backup Exec

I use Acronis and EaseUS, both I have found very good for recovery.

I find EaseUS much cheaper, but the secure zone on Acronis is very good with a dedicated drive.

Both allow you to use a USB stick to boot recovery.

Also windows backup is much better these days.

Though I am sure others will also make suggestions.

Got one server with BE and I really don't like it - very clunky and don't trust it in a disaster : stuck with it as the international software provider loves BE for the main software on it and insists on it as part of their support contract. BE scares the "pants" out of me as the menus are not very intuitive.

iPhone too heavy? Volkswagen brings out motorised ride-on dock

dedicated slots???

What about the protective case?

I always find that these cases do get in the way of dedicated slots, thereby rendering them useless until you fumble the phone out of them, surely BT is better with a charger lead.

60-inch Apple iTV to be controlled by iRing remote?

So an Apple user will be able to control their TV via their ring piece?

All sounds a bit anally retentive!

I'll get my coat.

Microsoft begins automatic Windows 7 SP1 rollout

Annual updates and annual cashflow

looks like MS are going for a subscription approach - hopefully they don't go all SimCity on us!

Twenty classic arcade games

Steeplejack or Galaxians?

Steeplejack or Galaxians?

El Reg contemplates the ultimate cuppa

Put it in the pot - Stew for 10 minutes!

Then next time someone else will make the teat for you - Job sorted!

Tennessee bloke quits job over satanic wage slip

Just start the numbering from 1000 or 10000 for Payroll

I have seen this issue a few times in the UK with Christians (666,333) and religious and non religious people with number 13 and people from Asia (basically any number with a 4, 12, 6).

So anything that tracks an employee I generally start from 1000 or 10000 - I know some of the phobia's to certain numbers seem silly and illogical to some of us - but some of these people are genuinely scared as though the system or someone is hexing them - it is easier and cheaper to just adapt deployment settings in the long run.

I can remember installing a phone system where the owner wanted the internal phone system starting with a 6 - and yes you guessed it he wanted 666 (because people would think twice about the need to call him with a trivial matter before they could solve it themselves - I have to say it did work.)

'Gaia' Lovelock: Wind turbines 'may become like Easter Island statues'

Not too bothered what they use to produce...

As long as the true costs (not necessarily monetary) are reflected fairly and clearly.

With all present nuclear fuel there is an undisclosed cost with storage of waste materials and with many renewables there is an undisclosed cost be it dead birds, visual impact, noise etc..

There is also an undisclosed cost for fossil fuels with regard to defence/war costs and the lives of our people sent to some distant land to be possibly maimed or die - just to keep the oil flowing because we have no political alternative fuel source!

All energy for our use has certain costs involved in the production and distribution - what those true costs really are composed of is often hidden from view not allowing a balanced decision to be made by the people.

I personally find Lovelock has a reasonable pragmatic approach to these costs, but again it is down to the individuals interpretation of say the value of a bird or human life.

This week's BBC MELTDOWN: Savile puppet haunts kids' TV

Link Warning!

You might be offended!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWPrVbtYHb0

Disney World slaps pay-by-bonk stalker cuffs on grown-ups

What fun we could have!

Hello Mike Litoris!

Microsoft burgled, only the APPLE iPADS stolen - cops confirm

Nice article to read before I went home

Thanks! needed a chuckle after the Monday blues!

MEGAGRAPH: 1983's UK home computer chart toppers

Re: Worst. Graph. Ever.

Not being colour blind I found that graph very hard to follow.

UK games market clutches chest, bleeds out sales in 2012

Discs what are those?

When you think about it IOS and Android are generally working in a virtual asset world.

Windows is moving that way with it's App store.

And a great choice of other entertainment media film (Netflix, LoveFilm, YouTube) Music (Spotify, Deezer ) is delivered without real physical media or ownership taking place.

Once you enter the virtual media supply chain actually getting valid data will be more challenging as the off shoring the sale will be much easier.

Where as I used to buy a CD for say £15.99 I now rent from Spotify for £9.99 per month (so I probably paid 50p for the virtual CD, possibly less with the amount of music I listen too).

So no surprise if it looks like sales are heading south!

Also it will not surprise me if PS4 has no Blue Ray drive and Xbox 720 no DVD player - things are moving that fast.

Boffins build substrate for 'peel and stick' solar cells

Re: My Experience

I've done my own home system, the biggest costs were the 500l solar tank (mine has 4 coils plus Emerson (never needed)), then SS pipe work, then pumps, then controller, then panels (China import).

Overall cost was £4.5k, payback will be around 6-8 years, did a lot of the fit myself.

Would I do it again? yes!

It got me also into installing woodburning boilers, quarterly gas bill now £25, instead of say the winter quarter bill being £700, I'd recommend it to anyone as long as you do your homework and appreciate that to get the payback you really need to stay in the house a fair few years.

Been following the PV panels for a while, might do it one day - but the efficiency needs to be higher to justify it at the moment, biggest cost again is not the panels - but the other stuff, inverters, cable, scaffolding, roof anchors.

Wikipedia doesn't need your money - so why does it keep pestering you?

Re: one thing....

I used to audit charities.

I give as directly to causes as I can these days - avoiding the middle man.

The minute you need a paid bureaucracy is the minute it is less a charity - don't get me started on paid fundraising agents.

Dragons' Den badboy's biz Expansys is soaked in red

Re: Ahahah...

They are on my block list now - tried unsubbing from newsletters and gave up.

John Lewis agrees to flog Microsoft's Surface RT tablets

Re: This can only be a good thing

Yes, I agree the sealing of users apps is a pain, shame really as most Apps will be common through a family or even company of users and just the username access to the App needs to change for say email, Facebook, cloud etc....

This is the only thing which ruins the multiuser approach for a single device.

Re: This can only be a good thing

Oh, one last thing (and I can see this being a killer feature that the others will copy at some point) android now supports multi user on the tablets so I don't have to have the kids junk on my 'profile' any more. The family can truly share a single tablet.

That is why I have switched at home and also pretty useful in the business environment too.

Fujitsu's canine cloud keeps pets petite

Re: Rather have just a GPS tracker for my four legged friend

You really need to grow up!

I pass a comment on the gadget, and suddenly you are having a go at me implying that I have no interest in my dog and that he is a fashion accessory and I should give him away.

What the hell are you on about?

He is a rescue dog not some "show dog" fashion accessory, he comes with me shooting.

He is not my friend - he is my dog - but like a mongrel dog he will hump anything on heat, if that means jumping over 6 foot fence he will do it.

Yes - I still think you are an arse, but an unnecessarily aggressive arse!

Re: Rather have just a GPS tracker for my four legged friend

I disagree when a bitch is on heat, and she is walked past the house - nothing will keep an intelligent dog behind a walled garden. He is not a fashion accessory and you sir are an arse!

Rather have just a GPS tracker for my four legged friend

Sodding thing ran off again the other night, spent ages looking him eventually found him outside the bitches house up the road. Must get one of these fangled GPS things.

Ten badass brainy computers from science fiction

What about Dark Star?

Bomb 20 and refusing to disarm itself.

Ten weird Chinese mobile phones

Had a few in the past

Bought some small credit card sized touch screen java phones a couple of years back £15 each (they were K9 model), they were great for receiving calls and the ring tones were great - no one and I mean no one had my ring tone on their phone. They were great for times when you needed to leave the expensive branded phone at home boating, beach etc....

Really enjoyed using them - until the time when I needed to make an outgoing call at that point I might as well have gone to the nearest pay phone - mental menus!

Iran's Photoshop FAIL: 'New drone' actually Japanese university bird

Keyboard!

built by Iranian scientists, scientists who presumably aren't fans of windmills but like the shadows they leave.

Ten technology FAILS

Bob's interface

Was far better than W8's is now!

Exec responsible for Apple iOS map fiasco walks the plank

Maps fiasco is a good adage to the umpteen Ps

Piss poor planning promotes piss poor performance, piss poor performance promotes pain.

At work we got this to 18 Ps - but can't remember it!

Hexing MAC address reveals Wifi passwords

Security, what's that.

Was at a mates house last week and he challenged me to get into his Wi-Fi network, had a domestic D-link router.

No problem says I picking up the router and holding in the reset button....

The simplest solutions are often the best....

Survey: Win8 only HALF as popular as Win7 among IT bosses

Using W8 on mine and a colleagues workstation since official launch

Obviously took a backup of my W7 system first.

I spent the first three days staring at my screen wondering how I get rid of the tiles and wondering where my desktop was (had very similar experience with that Ubuntu) - finally I installed classic shell and got my W7 look and feel back.

Overall with classic shell the ordinary user will be fine, W8 does have some useful friendly features, though the Apps are very lacking particularly the mail client - but there again I am used to Outllook with drag and drop for calendar meeting from email. No Facebook client at mo ( yes I need it for work). Twitter not bad. Though much easier using browser when you have a keyboard and mouse.

Still making judgement - but pleased to say it isn't that spawn of Satan called Vista!

Hold it! Don't back up to a cloud until you've eyed up these figures

We just had an adventure on the cloud

Someone nicked to copper from outside providers site (which was in fact fibre) and we had no contact for 3 days with our cloud services and media.

Also you have to rely on the provider's availability and recovery plans, which may not be a robust as they say they are as until you see them in action yourself you should not rely on what you are told in some sales man's spiel or an advert.

Backups we do it by Wi-Fi to a remote location (helps if you know other businesses in the area with similar issues) along with taking physical backup discs home with us (all encrypted etc..).

Valve's Half-Life

Got all my old games

HL is their favourite, compared to today's stuff still rates very well.

Apple scrambled to hire iOS 6 maps engineers DAYS before launch

Oh Dear!

I think it is back to Apple not talking to you again! :)

Apple land-grabs iThingy feature management patent

The Lords of the Rounded Corner

Thanks made me chuckle!

'We asked firms if they were looking at Windows 8, most laughed'

Will be testing W8 at somepoint in the next few months.

We have been using W7 since late 2011, users and myself are happy with that as a stable OS.

I am more interested how the W8 on a tablet and the integration with our existing software - presently using Apple Fondle Slabs (and happy with quality but a little expensive).

After all when you go round Tesco, all you hear are the WM5 sounds on handheld scanners.

I think this is where the main sales will be made and integration with existing windows business software all on the same or similar platform, this is effectively a business table addition and update for the old windows mobile platform – of which we still have a number of these devices still in service.

The added advantage of a Windows Fondle Slab is that though they are portable they are not as desirable as iPads – so less of a theft risk.

Story gone

Could at least have had a caption request like

"State one good reason why you want to have this laptop?"

Would have made a very jolly read if you then published the afore mentioned reasons!.

Let's talk about the RBS IT cock-up

You can outsource or offshore for all I care!

You can delegate the thereby:

1. Offshore the process

2. Outsource the Process

But you cannot and should not try to

Delegate your responsibility if things go wrong unless you have lots of legal papers signed and an independent third party checking what you are proposing is the best LONGTERM decision.

I still see this in some management I meet; just because they have delegated a job or task that they are somehow devoid of responsibility when it goes wrong.

This trait is often proportional to how high up the tree the manager is!

I still meet some Directors who have no responsibilities at all as they have delegated them all to middle managment or worse an outside consultant!

Apple iOS 6 beta limits number of apps per device

I have 232 apps

And I took some off last night because it was getting a bit silly!

The Grundy NewBrain is 30

Re: the future!!!! (according to the NIB)

Don't tell Apple it has rounded corners!

CANNIBAL! Apple's 7.85in iPad will EAT 9.7in iPad sales

Fictitious or not!

A smaller cheaper iPad would make a great kids handheld games console and business tool.

Talking of business tools, often the iPad is too big and iPod too small, something I between would be just right for the service industry.

Icon - well I always wanted to be a pirate!

LG 55LM960V 55in Smart TV

£500

That's the top end of my budget, with umpteen kids it's not worth buying decent kit.

What I would love to see on el' reg occasionally is what is the best TV or Projector etc.. I can get for around £500.

I know this goes against the purpose of the hardware section, but would be great to see this occasionally. :)

By the way nice review.

Blighty laid bare as historic aerial snaps archive goes online

Yep!

Same Here!